Elysium review

This future is nothing like Star Trek promised! Spock lied to us!

Elysium takes place in 2154. In this future, the Earth is an overpopulated and polluted desert that only the poor live in. Above Earth, is a high-tech living facility called Elysium. Only the rich can afford to live on Elysium, where the air is clean and anyone can be cured of any disease. Max De Costa (Matt Damon), is a regular-guy factory worker, who's accidentally given a lethal dose of radiation at work. He'll die in 5 days if he doesn't get treatment. And the only treatment is on Elysium. So Max tries to get help anyway he can, all while fending off Agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley) who's being commanded by Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) of Elysium. 

So, a while back when I heard about this movie I was psyched out of my mind. I loved District 9 and I couldn't wait to see what writer/director Neil Blomkamp had up his sleeve next. I also am a pretty big fan of Matt Damon (Who isn't?) so that just added to my excitement. Plus, there haven't been too many great sci-fi films recently. Elysium had all the elements to be an awesome and well-done science fiction thriller. And although it wasn't as good as I expected, in most ways it worked. Don't let the trailers fool you, Elysium isn't your average time killer entertainment. It's a bit more depressing and deep then you'd think. There's also a fair amount of social and political commentary about immigration and poverty in here. It's really a serious movie. I kind of wish that it could have been a tad more lighthearted and fun, but then again, it may not have been as good if it was less serious. I haven't seen Jodie Foster in anything recently since Panic Room. It really is good to see her back. As she's already proved in The Silence of the Lambs, Foster is very capable of great acting. Her performance in Elysium isn't great, but it's certainly nothing to scoff at. Jodie Foster pulls off the evil bureaucrat role very nicely. Matt Damon is also a fantastic actor. Everybody knows this. Like always, Damon is terrific to watch here. He adds his regular guy act with a bit of  Jason Bourne, creating one great performance. Elysium sometimes gets a little too serious then it should be and the plot is occasionally shaky, but otherwise I really enjoyed it. I think  the reason it's been getting some hate is because it has to live up to District 9's standards. District 9 was a fantastic film that got 4 Oscar nods, including Best Picture! There is no way Elysium could have ever lived up to District 9. Yet, that doesn't make it bad. Elysium is still very good. It blends sci-fi action, political commentary, and drama for a pretty great flick. Considering some of the movies that have been released this summer like Fast and Furious 6, and The Hangover Part III, Elysium is a huge improvement. Sure it's not a fantastic movie, but it's still pretty damn good. With an interesting story, some good performances by Damon and Foster, and some awesome special effects make for an entertaining and worthwhile science fiction movie. I give Elysium 3.9 out of 5 stars. You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies! Happy Viewing!